Coating device



April 19, 1960 M. F. GALER 2,933,061

COATING DEVICE Filed March 29. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Meek/L; F Gm 5/? 43% F Am HTTORNEYS April 19, 1960 Filed- March 29. 1957 M. F. GALER 2,933,061

COATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ME/QR/LL 1 6mm fl 7 702w: vs

United States CQATING DEVICE Merrill F. Gaier, Shelton, Coma, assignor to Time, in corporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application March 29, 1957, Serial No. 649,360

1 Claim. (Cl. 118-33) sheet of material to provide a surface adapted for printing,

which device is capable of applying the fluid coating in controlled quantity and distribution per unit area and effecting a smoothing and blending action upon the fluid coating to give a substantially uniform and smooth surface distribution.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for applying a fluid coating on a moving web, which device includes a doctor blade for removing an excess of coating from the continuously moving web and which includes a convex web-contacting portion on its trailing side and terminating in an intersection with a plane surface disposed normal'to a tangent at the intersection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated in which the web-contacting portion thereof automatically seals the flow of fluid coating as the device and moving web are moved apart.

Generally, a device constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a substantially V-shaped coating supply reservoir with a narrow discharge slot normally closed by a thin flexible blade. The flexible'blade is deflected when brought into contact with amoving web thereby opening the discharge slot a predetermined amount, depending upon the pressure applied to the blade. The flexible blade extends generally downwardly from the supply reservoir and the coating follows the blade onto the Web. As the device is removed from contact with the web, the flexible blade returns to its norma position cutting off the flowof coating fluid.

A modification of the invention includes the provision of a roller in the discharge slot of the fluid coating supply reservoir to coat a web when brought into contact therewith. The flexible blade then acts to smooth the coating after it has been applied to the web by the roller.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose,

by way ofexample, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation taken in cross section of the fluid coating supply reservoir with the flexible blade in its cut-oflf position out-of-contact with the moving web;

Figure 2 is the device of Figure 1 in contact with the web to be coated;

Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section of a view similar to that shown in Figure 1;

atent O f 2,933,061 Patented Apr. 19, 1960 Figure 4 is an elevation partly in section of a practical embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a reservoir 10 is formed in a V-shaped trough of any desired length it only being essential that it extend across a moving web in order to coat the entire width of the web. The reservoir 10 may be enclosed, as shown in Figure 5, or it may be open to the atmosphere, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The two sides 11 and 12 of the reservoir 10 are spaced apart slightly at the bottom 13 to provide a substantially rectangular discharge slot 14 for passing the fluid coating 15.

As shown in Figure 1, the relative location of the coating device 16 and the moving web 17 illustrates the device in its removed position out-of-contact withthe web. In this position, the discharge slot 14 is sealed by a flexible blade 18 attached to one side 12 of the reservoir and extending across the discharge slot 14. The solid or, if desired, laminated material of which the flexible blade 18 is made may be any suitable resilient material such as, for example, rubber, leather, fiber, plastic, steel or spring steel.

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the coating device 16 is actuated by moving it toward the moving web 17. The flexible blade 18, upon contact with the moving web 17, is deflected an amount according to'the movement of the coating device 16. When the flexible blade 18 is deflected, it is. moved away from the position across the discharge slot 14 allowing the fluid coating 15 to flow through the discharge slot 14, down the underside of the blade 18 and onto the moving web 17. The

' amount of fluid coating 15 which flows through the discharge slot 14 is controlled by the amount of deflection of the flexible blade 18 which, in turn, is controlled by the force applied to the coating device 115.

In this view, the fluid coating 15 passing through the discharge slot 14 will'flow down the underside of the blade 18 and onto the web 17. By attaching the flexible blade to the opposite side of the reservoir 10, as-shown in Figure 3, it should be noted that the fluid coating will flow down the upper side of the blade. Therefore, it is not critical that the fluid coating should. follow a particular side of the flexible blade.

To halt the coating operation, it is only necessary to raise the coating device 16 such that the flexible blade 18 is out-of-contact with the moving web 17. In this position, the flexible blade 18 deflects automatically to close the discharge slot 14, as best seen'in Figure 1.

Any suitable lever arrangement may be used to control the position of the coating device or, if desired, the position of the coating device may be fixed and a roller 1% over which the web 17 moves may be adjustable in height. Also, the fluid coating 15 may be applied by gravity feed for web speeds up to approximately 1,006 feet per minute. For higher speeds, the reservoir may be enclosed and maintained under slight pressure.

The coating device 16 may be mounted to operate with any turning roll of a conventional paper machine or, if desired, it may be mounted to operate on a flat moving surface, it being understood that the invention is not limited to operate with any particular machine. Construction of the device according to the invention permits the reservoir 14 to be small and compact in size and the supply of fluid coating 15to be fed from any of the fluid recirculating systems well known in the art.

Figure 3 shows a reservoir 40 partly in section to reveal the attachment of the flexible blade 41 to the inner surface of the side 42. This arrangement is opposite to that shown in Figure 1. The blade 41 is attached by means of a pressure plate 43 which is caused to bear 3 against the inner end 44 by tightening a threaded bolt 4-5. In this position, the blade 41 extends downwardly and acrossthe discharge slot 46 to provide a, cut-ofl means for the fluid coating. The operation of this arrangement will be described in Connection with a practi cal embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figure 4. V v V Referring now to Figure 4, a main linkage '50 is pivotally mounted on a fixed, longitudinally-disposed axle 51. Just below the axle 51 the fluid coating 55 is contained I in a substantially V-shaped reservoir 52 formed by the 7 sides 53 and 54. A flexible blade 56 is attached to the inner surface of the side'54 and extends across the discharge slot 57 to seal the fluid coating in the reservoir 52 when the device is in the position shownby the dotted lines.

. To coat a moving web 58, an actuator 59, which may be hydraulic, electric or any other suitable type, pivots themainlinkage Sit in a clockwise direction about the axle 51. In thismanner, the flexible blade 56 is brought to bear against the surface of the moving web 58.

Upon contact with the web 58, the blade 56 is deflected an amount depending upon the degree of rotation of the main linkage 50. When the blade 56 is deflected, it unblocks the discharge slot 57 permitting the fluid coating to flow down the blade 56 and onto the web The blade 56 also provides a smoothing action since the fluid flows between the web 58 and the blade 56.

The supply of fluid coating 61 is maintained by a suitable connection (not shown) at the ends of the axle 51. A plurality of spaced apart apertures 60 communicate the supply of fluid coating 61 with the reservoir 55. The

fluid coating 61 is continually recirculated by any suitable means (not shown) to maintain the consistency and homogeneity of the fluid.

When it is desired to discontinue the coating action, the actuator 59 moves the main linkage 50 in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure-4. The flexible blade 56 is now out-ofcontact with the web 58 and, thus,'the discharge slot 57' is sealed.

to increase the solids content to the highest practical value in order to minimize the amount of water to be removed in the subsequent drying process. Of course, it is understood that this coating fluid is only one of many andthe coatingdevice is not limited to this fluid.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as merely illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all modificationsand variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalence of the appended claim are, therefore, intended to be embodied therein. 7 I V I claim:

A coating device for coating a moving surfacecom prising a means for supporting and moving a web of paper, a reservoir for containing a supply'of fluid coating, said reservoir having an elongated substantially rectangular discharge opening extending across the web through which fluid coating may flow, a flexible blade means attached to said reservoir adjacent one.elongate'd edgeof said discharge opening and extending across to The modification shown in Figure 5 of the drawings provides a roller 30 of any suitable material positioned within the discharge slot 31 of the enclosed reservoir 32. Onlysuificient clearance is provided between the roller 30 and the discharge slot 31 to allow the fluid coating 33 to pass when the roller is turned by contact with a moving web 34. Accordingly, no fluid will flow until the roller corges into contact with and is turned by the moving we In the arrangement, the flexible blade 35 is attached to the outside of the reservoir 32 and trails on the moving web 34 to provide a smoothing action. Also illustrated in this arrangement is the enclosed reservoir 32 being supplied with fluid coating from a conduit source 36 permitting the fluid 33 to be maintained under a slight pressure.

seal said 'discharge'opening when said coating device is 0 not in use, said flexible blade having a portion extending past said discharge opening so that when said portion contacts said moving surface, said flexible blade is curved 'to'open said discharge opening and to provide a connecting surface over which said fluid coating flows for appli{ cation to said moving surface, means for movably mounting said reservoir adjacent said means for supporting the web, and means for moving the reservoir to move the blade into and out of engagement with the web to open and close said discharge opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 551,524- Bouton Dec. 17, 1895 996,881 Packard July 4, 1911 1,184,798 Ward May 30', 1916 1,735,073 Carpenter -41-- Nov. 12, 1929 1,919,859 Phillips July 25, 1933 2,063,617 Nealand Dec. 8, 1936 2,533,704 Zanetti Dec. 12, 1950 

